Wednesday 27 September 2017 14:31, UK
Manchester City took a "huge step" towards securing qualification to the Champions League knockout phase after Tuesday night's win against Shakhtar Donetsk, according to midfielder Fernandinho.
Pep Guardiola's men secured top spot in Group F after a 2-0 victory thanks to a long-range effort from Kevin De Bruyne, with his first goal of the season, and Raheem Sterling who landed the finishing blow in the final minutes of the game.
City's victory means they remain unbeaten for the season and ensured they continue their seven-game winning streak in all competitions.
And Fernandinho, who led out his team-mates, believes the win puts them in a strong position ahead of their next Champions League game against Napoli - their toughest opponents in Group F.
"I think we made a huge step towards qualification for the next stage. This is good. If you want to be top of the group you have to win most of the points possible.
"Two in a row in the group stage is nice but now we have to think about Napoli because it is going to be a tough game for us."
Fernandinho left Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 to move to the Eithad and was full of praise for his team-mates after their patient defensive display against his former side, who according to the Brazil international posed a real threat on the night.
The Brazil international said: "I know most of the players. I played with them when I was over there. I knew they could create some problems for us, especially keeping the ball.
"But we were patient to defend our side and when we had the ball we tried to create chances to score. We had a few chances and in the end we got two goals and the three points."
